Cold Reality
by Frosted-ex
Summary: Anderson has an existential crisis following the Peach Trees incident. Is she really cut out for being a Judge? Or will she end up alone and dead. In her time of weakness, she will find solace or agony. It's up to her to decide. Maybe with the help of everyone's favorite Judge. ** 1st chapters are rough.(noob here)Character personality is AU in the beginning. It'll come together
1. Chapter 1

Prologue.

She didn't know whether or not it was the bullet wound in her side or the fact that she spent the better part of her day judging and killing criminals. It didn't really matter at this point, Anderson was numb mentally and physically.

Everything the Hall of Justice did to train and prepare her for being a Judge was nothing like she faced today. Technically she failed but her strong psychic abilities proved to be invaluable in the field. Mega-city one needed her more than it realized. So here she was, standing in her small cramped apartment trying to make sense of it all.

The bathroom was even worse. There was just enough room to have a tiny shower, a poor excuse of a sink, and a toilet.

Getting a good look at herself in the mirror, she wasn't a rookie anymore. The rest of her innocence was left behind in Peach Trees. Probably erased after executing one of the thugs that begged her for mercy. She had a job to do.

"_Attempting to murder a Judge is punishable by death,"_ Dredd's voice echoed in her mind. In their line of work, hesitation could mean death. All the rationalization still didn't make her feel good about herself. It made her want to vomit. So she did. After a couple of dry heaves she rinsed out the salty bitterness and began to strip.

She turned the shower on and gave a verbal command for the water temperature and pressure. Feeling satisfied with scolding hot, she looked in the mirror at her body. All the cuts, bruises, dirt, blood, and grime made her look completely different. Gone was the beautiful young woman and in her place was a killer.

The skin around her bullet wound was redding and swollen. She would have to get professional help later, but not right now. Now she wanted to wash todays shit from her body.

Anderson stepped into the hot spray and closed her eyes. After today the cramped shower and scolding water was a godsend. The water was hot to her skin but she didn't care. The hotter the better. Anything to forget how fucked up her first and last day was.

Twenty-five minutes later she had enough. It was virtually impossible to see from all the steam. Anderson took her towel and wiped a streak across the mirror. She was clean and her yellow blond hair was shiny and vibrant once more. It was the polar opposite of what she was feeling.

Having dried off she hung up her towel and walked back to her bed. Finding a too-big t-shirt, she put it on and pulled on some cotton shorts and collapsed on the bed. Exhaustion finally caught up to her and she was asleep in a few minutes. The nightmares would be worse now. More so than ever before.

_She was falling. Falling to her death. But it was alright, Anderson looked around at everything in slow motion. Smoke and ash filled the air and her lungs. It hurt so much. It would be over soon. The ground approached and she closed her eyes. Completely accepting of her fate. Glad that it would all be over in a moment. But that moment never came. Instead she opened her eyes and saw that she was tied to a table, covered in drying blood. The smell was almost unbearable. Then a familiar face came into focus._

"_You are so fucked, bitch." Kay's voice echoed in the concrete room. _

_Anderson's heart dropped into her stomach. Kay approached her and he unsheathed a vicious looking knife._

"_If I don't come back, you might not want to get taken alive. Your call." That's all Anderson could think about._

"_You should have listened to him. Now I get my turn, bitch."_

_Kay began to cut the pants off of her. Anderson started to panic and try to escape. But Kay just laughed. "Oh you think you're getting out of this, don't you?" HAHAHAHA, that's cute." Your Judge buddy is a hundred floors down, probably bleeding out."_

_Kay resumed disrobing her with his knife. Anderson fought but to no avail. In a few moments she was nude. Completely at Kay's mercy. Kay stepped back and looked at her. He whistled."That other bitch has nothing on you, honey. It's a shame for what I'm about to do to you." _

_At that moment Kay took his knife and gently stroked her abdomen with the blade. Cutting her just enough so a red line appeared. "This is only the beginning." with that being said, Kay grabbed her arm and held it stretched out. Anderson tried to scream but the gag in her mouth prevented it. Kay took the knife and starting to cut a notch at her wrist. Anderson was crying now, wishing he would just finish her off. _

"_Can't do that baby, there's much more to do." It was like Kay was in her mind. This was hell if it existed. Kay took the knife and in one pull he skinned the top of her arm off. She screamed into the gag and Kay just laughed. Anderson blacked out with his laugh echoing in her brain. She screamed again and sat up in her bed._

Drenched in sweat and shaking with terror, she attempted to regain some composure.

"Fuck, oh fuck." Cassandra muttered into the dark.

Being a victim to night terrors already didn't help her cause any. Watching your parents die to radiation induced cancer as a child will do that to you. Especially when you're a Telepath.

Normally she could just shake them off, but the Peach Trees incident will change a person. Now she gets why Dredd is such a cold calculated person. There's no place for emotions on the the streets of Mega-City 1.

Deciding that sleep was no longer an option, Cassandra got up and walked over to the tiny fridge stationed in the opposite corner of the small room. The only contents were leftover take-out from a Tai place a few levels down. Smelling the package made her lose any appetite she might have. Fortunately there was a half empty bottle of rum in the door.

"That'll have to do then." Pulling the bottle out she reached up into a cabinet and searched for a cup. Pleased with a old plastic cup she returned to her bed and sat on the side, poured a few shots and drained the glass empty. She poured another and repeated the cycle.

An hour later the blue cup was gone. Cassandra lay sprawled across the bed with an almost empty bottle clasped in her left hand. She pulled the bottle to her lips and drained the last of the warm nectar and tossed the bottle somewhere near the bathroom.

The alcohol made her feel a different kind of numb. A numbness that held her whole body. The only thing that wasn't numb was her sharp mind. Even liquor couldn't dull her memories or senses enough.

"Looks like I'm going to the liquor store later." Cassandra sighed and rolled over to look at the wall. The gray painted concrete stared back and offered no comfort. Feeling dissatisfied Cassandra rolled over to face the other wall, expecting it to be different. The only difference was the bathroom door. But that too, didn't offer any comfort.

"Fuck it, I need to get outta here." Cassandra got up and pulled her shoes on, walked to the door and stopped. She could feel a familiar presence at the back of her mind. Cassandra felt anger, masked by a wall of control. Then it hit her.

"Dredd." She opened the door and Dredd was standing there, with is finger on the doorbell.

They both looked at one another for a moment until Dredd spoke up.

"You alright, Rookie?" Dredd's raspy voice filled the tiny room.

Cassandra couldn't find the words to reply. All she managed to say was, "Dredd? What are yoou doin here?" The rum manged to slur her speech.

Dredd just stared back unmoving for a moment.

"Well, I'm waiting."

A few seconds went by then Dredd finally answered. "Just came to check on you. You left in a hurry."

Cassandra took a second to reply. "Well here I am." She let her arm fall to here side with a soft clap, and walked back into her room. "Come inside if you like. I'd offer you a drink but I finished it off before you got here."

Dredd took a step into the tiny apartment and looked around.

"You like?"

Dredd made a grunting noise and turned to Cassandra.

"Anderson, we have to talk." The higher ups' want to make you a Judge. You passed your examination today."

Cassandra thought a moment before speaking. "Fuck. The. Higher. Ups." She slurred the words together and unceremoniously sat on her bed. Lips pouted and looking at Dredd.

Dredd stood there contemplating his words carefully. "You proved yourself today, Anderson. Based on what I saw, you could make a competent Judge."

Cassandra let the words sink in before speaking. "Yeah, well I don't wanna be a Judge. So you can tell the brass where they can shove their expectations!" Cassandra was standing now, having found the courage to yell at the most feared Judge in Mega-City 1. It was probably the Rum, but that didn't matter now.

Dredd didn't flinch, he let her say what she needed to say before speaking.

"It's perfectly natural to feel this way. You were put in an extraordinary situation and you prevailed. Remember you saved me in the lab. You got what it takes Rookie." Dredd remained motionless and his stoic face never changed.

Cassandra didn't think of it that way. She really did save Dredd's life back in Peach Trees. Then soon after he was patching her up.

"So we're even now? I kill a Judge and you patched me up in the elevator?"

"You didn't kill a Judge, Anderson. You executed a criminal that betrayed the law. The judgment was sound, Rookie."

Cassandra gave a sort and stared at Dredd waiting for him to speak again.

Dredd continued to stand motionless. Then looked down at Cassandra's side.

"You should go get that looked at." Dredd deadpanned. "It's starting to bleed again."

Cassandra didn't even notice the warmness spreading down her side.

"Oh fuck me," she exclaimed. All the moving around must of aggravated the self sealing stitches.

Without thinking, Cassandra peeled the soiled shirt off and flung it across the room. She staggered towards the bathroom, looking for something to clean up with.

Dredd turned away to give her some privacy.

Water started to run in the bathroom. Quiet curses emanated out of it followed by mumbling.

Dredd took this moment to look around Anderson's apartment. It was sparse save a framed picture next to the bed. He picked it up to examine it. On one side was a tanned man with dark hair with a blonde woman next to him. In the lower middle was a girl with vibrant yellow blond hair and a toothy grin. Without a doubt, it was a smaller younger Anderson. Except this girl looked happy. Dredd thought back to what the chief justice said.

"_Cassandra Anderson, 21. She grew up in a block one-hundred meters from the boundary wall. Both parents died to radiation induced cancer..."_

The water stopped running and a few swears later, Cassandra emerged from the bathroom cleaned up looking for a shirt to wear.

Dredd put the picture down and handed Anderson a navy wife beater next to the bed.

"Here."

"Oh, thanks." Anderson took the shirt and Dredd turned away once again.

"i know what it's like." Dredd said all of a sudden.

Confused, Anderson turned to him with a concerned look. "Know what's like?" She left it at that waiting for a reply.

Dredd took a moment and replied. "Losing your parents."

"When I was five my parents were killed during a block war. Stray gunfire came into out apartment. I watched them bleed out." Dredd said no more.

Cassandra stood there dumbfounded. In the academy she had heard about how ruthless Judge Dredd was. All the other cadets admired him. Everyone thought he was just a heartless person with no past.

Dredd turned to look at her. "Now we're even, Rookie."

He walked back to the door and without turning around, "Let's go to the med clinic. Can't have you bleed out on me."

Cassandra was still in shock form what he told her until his voice rang out again. "Come on Anderson. I'll carry you if I have to."

"Oh, right. "

She grabbed her coat and I.D. and followed Dredd out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1.

The walk back from the Med-clinic was uneventful. It was still very earlier so there wasn't much traffic in the corridors. Each floor looked the same. There were subtle differences however. Gang graffiti covered some walls. Questionable stains on others. Every now and then you would see bullet holes in the concrete. Each hallway had its own smell. Whether it was from someone cooking something god awful or the stench of a decaying body. After a while it just all blends together. This was the "aroma" of Mega City 1.

It was quiet now. Only the heavy footsteps of Dredd were audible. Each step would echo around followed by another. Cassandra wondered how many criminals have heard those same footsteps before being judged.

The pair turned onto the last hall to Cassandra's apartment. She reached inside her pocket for her I.D. to open the door. When she slide the card through the scanner, nothing happened. Perplexed, she tried again, and again. Still nothing.

"Problem?" Dredd stated.

"Key won't work."

"Well that's obvious."

Cassandra gave him a look that screamed, 'really not in the mood for your shit right now.'

She fiddled with it for a moment until Dredd intervened. Which meant shooting the damed mechanism.

"I've seen this in the field before. Thieves can trace pass codes through doors that are being accessed. Then they send a virus to the lock and disable it."

"You're telling me that I've been robbed." She was in disbelief.

"Statistically, yes."

Upon entering Cassandra noticed something was off. The light didn't turn on. Which was odd because the main interior light would turn on when the door was unlocked.

"Well this is just fantastic." Sighed Anderson. This was the last thing she needed right now.

Dredd always prepared, activated the light on his lawgiver, shining it around.

The initial inspection made Cassandra's heart drop. Somebody had broken in. The bed was disheveled and moved off the frame. The mattress was cut up. and the small drawer with her clothes was ransacked and broken. The bathroom was a mess.

"Fuck." The only thing Cassandra could say. She looked around and managed to find the picture of her parents. The frame was broken but the picture was still intact. She carefully put the picture in her coat pocket.

Giving a sarcastic laugh she turned around the room and exclaimed, "Now what?"

Anderson watched the proverbial wheels turn behind Dredd's helmet, then he spoke.

"You can crash at my place." He stared at her then walked outside. "I'll give you a moment to gather your things."

Cassandra was shocked. She half expected him to tell her to get a room in one of the hotels. But he offered to give her a place to sleep, at his apartment.

"Oh this should be fun." She said to no one particular. Giving one last look around she saw that there was nothing to gather up. All her clothes were gone and any toiletries she had were either missing or broken on the bathroom floor.

Anderson turned and walked out to meet Dredd. The only thing she had was the clothes on her back her the treasured picture of her parents. All her gear and uniforms were at headquarters.

"Let's go." Both Dredd and Anderson walked back towards the elevator.

Dredd pressed the down button and the wait commenced. With two-hundred floors, it wasn't unheard of to wait five minutes for the elevator to reach you. Being that it was night time they didn't have to wait long. With a ding, the doors opened and the pair entered.

The descent was quiet. Save a few rattles of the aging elevator.

The elevator eventually reached the ground level and the doors opened once more.

"You're riding with me, Rookie." Dredd announced.

It took a moment for Cassandra to figure out what he meant.

"The alcohol."

The Lawmaster wouldn't let the operator start the bike if they were intoxicated. Anderson was indeed intoxicated. Sobering up now but still buzzing.

Parked out front was Dredd's bike. Scuffed up from countless pursuits and judgments.

Dredd climbed on the bike and looked at Cassandra. "Get on."

She did so.

"Hang on. We got a ways to go and I drive fast."

Dredd pulled on the accelerator and they were off.

With his uniform on, Dredd was huge. More than twice the size of Cassandra. Holding on to him was a challenge. She managed to find a nook to hold onto and she was good.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at Dredds block. If it wasn't for the names on the side, it would be impossible to tell most mega blocks apart.

The wait for an elevator took a while. People were starting to go to work. It still left a seventy-five percent unemployment rate. Boredom was the main reason Judges like Dredd exist. Criminals thrive when they have nothing to do. It was true in the old world. It's still the same now. Just a lot worser.

The elevator finally came and Dredd keyed in for floor 117. The ride up didn't take long.

Dredd's apartment was nothing spectacular. It had all the amenities one with need. His apartment was bigger than Cassandra's. But that probably comes with the reputation.

"Would you like some water?" Asked Dredd.

"Sure, sounds good." Cassandra was solemn. She was getting sleepy again. Little sleep and liquor don't mix.

Dredd returned and handed her a glass of cold water. She put the glass to her lips and tilted her head back. The crisp liquid felt good to Cassandra's throat. Satisfied, she followed Dredd to the couch and they both sat down.

"I have off for 3 days. Just until the bullet wound is healed. Dredd said flatly.

"The couch is yours." Dredd got up and walked to his bedroom. He returned with a pillow and blanket.

"Help yourself to the kitchen if you get hungry."

"Thank you, Dredd."

"Anytime, Anderson."

"Cassandra." Cassandra blurted out.

Dredd was taken aback.

"You can call me Cassandra, were not on duty."

"What's your first name?" She didn't know if he would tell her.

Dredd stood there for a moment. Cassandra could tell he was thinking hard about something. Didn't need to be a telepath to know that. He finally spoke after a few seconds.

"Joe."

it was so simply. You would think the famous and infamous Judge Dredd would have a more epic name than Joe.

"Joe..." Cassandra tried it out for size.

"No one has ever asked me that before."

"Well it's a good name. Don't you get tired of everyone calling you 'Dredd' all the time?

"Never really thought of it much."

"If I'm going to be sleeping on your couch then I need to know you whole name."

"Fare enough, Roo-Cassandra." Cassandra gave him a quick upside down grin.

Dredd turned back to his room. "I'll let you sleep in. Wake me if you need me."

Dredd shut the door and it was quiet.

Cassandra took off her coat. She took the picture out and looked at it. She began to smile and thought about the old times. When it was just her with mom and dad. She was so happy then. Will she ever be happy again? She looked at the picture one last time and kissed it. A tear escaped and slid down her face.

She put the picture down on the coffee table and curled up with the blanket. Exhaustion took over once more and she fell asleep.

_Anxiety, panic, anguish, pain, death... All the feelings Cassandra could sense while she was runing down the corridor. Gunshots... she halted and focused her mind toward the sound. Distant screams and yelling reverberated down the hallway. She ran, ran as fast as she could. The screaming got louder. She was close, just a few more meters. Cassandra rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. In front of her was her parents, laying motionless on the ground. A little girl was knelt down on top of them. _

"_Mommy... Daddy... you have to get up now." The girl was shaking them, trying to wake them. It was too late. The girl turned around and pleaded for Cassandra's help. "help them. You got to help them!"_

"_I.. I.. cant." Cassandra said plainly._

"_Help them, help them, help them... the child sounded like a broken record._

_Cassandra tried to block it out. She covered her ear's, it didn't help. The girl was screaming at her in her head._

"_Stop it." Pleaded Cassandra. "please stop."_

_The little girl didn't let up._

"_Got.. to.. get outta here..." Cassandra started running. The voice in her head didn't stop._

"_Help them, help them, help them!"_

"_Nooooooooo!" Cassandra was running, running as far away as she could. _

_She found a room and ran in, closed and locked the door. When she turned around her parent's were standing there. But they weren't dead. They were alive and happy to see her. _

"_mommy, daddy." She was little again. Laughing with joy while her dad tossed her up and down._

"_Cassie!" Her mom called out._

_The little girl turned and ran to her mother. Giggling with excitement as she started to tickle her. _

_Cassandra was in bliss. But something didn't feel right._

_Cassandra blinked and everything changed. Instead of joy and happiness, there was terror and pain._

_Gone were her happy alive parents. In their place was their corpses. Eyes open starring at Cassandra. _

_She started to panic. No, no no, no... come back mommy, come back daddy. She screamed and her world blacked out in front of her. _

She woke up screaming and Dredd came busting through the door.

The shock of it all caused Cassandra to literally jump off the couch.

Pacing the room trying to catch her breath, she was crying.

"I... couldn't.. sa..ve them." In between sobs.

Dredd didn't know what to do. Of course he had his training but that was different. This was personal, and that bothered him. He finally spoke up.

"It's ok, Cassandra... it was just a dream."

He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She responded with a flinch. She didn't remove his hand though. "Now we're getting somewhere." Dredd thought.

He slowing started to rub small circles on her back, going with his instincts.

Cassandra stopped shaking so much in a couple of minutes. The occasional sniffle would sound out. Eventually she was calm enough to regain some composure.

"You have night terrors, too." It was a statement rather than a question. Dredd was no stranger to them.

"Cassandra barely nodded. She sat on the couch with her head held down, taking slow deep breathes.

"It gets better. Just give it time." The room was quiet except for the ambient noise of the mega block.

" It... it was never this bad. Only recently has it been really bad. Sorry you had to see that, Joe."

"Don't apologize, it makes you look weak." It sounded like some sort of regulation.

"I'm not exactly feeling strong right now..."

"It's alright, Cassandra." Dredd put his hand on her arm. He didn't know why. Seemed like the right thing to do.

She didn't pull away. Instead she relaxed and leaned back on couch. Dredd could see her face then.

Cassandra was a couple shades lighter and her big brown eyes were red and swollen from crying.

She looked up and saw Dredd, without his helmet. Again she was surprised. He had short dark hair, light brown eyes. Besides a couple small scars he wasn't bad looking. His days of judging haven't caught up to him yet. There was genuine concern in his facial feature.

She smirked. "You're human after all."

"Amusing, Anderson." This time the surname was intentional.

"Does every crying girl get graced with your face?"

"Only the bad cases." Dredd just looked at her.

"Oh ha ha." Cassandra retorted.

"If you're done being dramatic maybe we can figure out some breakfest." Dredd got up and walked to the kitchen. He opened the cupboards and fridge before returning to Cassandra.

"Looks like we're eating out. You up for it?

"Yeah, I'm down."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2.

"Breakfast was good, breakfast burritos are the perfect hangover food. Thought Cassandra. Sometimes all you need is a good meal to help bring your A-game. She decided it was time to get herself together and face the world.

"I need need to get a new apartment arranged. Somewhere out of that hell hole." Cassandra stated.

"We can contact HQ and they can sort it out." Dredd always knew what to do.

"Perfect. This place doesn't seem like a total shit hole." She implied to Dredd.

"It's a lot closer to HQ as well." Dredd was starting to see the Judge that looked ready to clear a room of perps earlier. Had she decided to stay and be a Judge?

"You've made a decision then."

"Yeah, I'm going to clean up this town." Judge Anderson was back.

"Ambitious, you might need backup." Dredd was back to business.

Cassandra stopped walking and turned to Dredd facing him. She stuck out her hand.

"Partners?"

Dredd took her hand and shook it.

"Partners." Dredd was always ready to dispense Justice. Anderson and Dredd would make a great team.

They continued walking back toward Joe's apartment. Neither of them said a word. The gears were ticking overtime. That tends to happen when you're a Judge.

Later on, using Dredd's computer, Cassandra contacted the Chief Justice. It was time to officially become a Judge of Mega City 1.

The Holo-display activated and a bust of the Chief Justice appeared.

"Anderson. I was expecting a call from you... How did it go up there yesterday?"

"Nothing I wasn't prepared for, Sir." Cassandra was all business now.

"That's great to hear. We thought you would do well. I take it you want to be a Judge? It was more rhetorical but had a serious note as well.

"Yes Sir."

"Excellent, You can return to duty once you've fully healed." The Chief was pleased. Anderson is a prime candidate for being a Judge. Her strong psychic abilities will serve her well.

Cassandra had one last thing to ask the chief.

"If that's all Anderson, I'll leave you to your day." The Chief Justice almost ended the transmission.

"Actually Sir, there is." Cassandra hoped the Chief agree with her.

"Well then let's hear it."

"Judge Dredd and I work very well together, Sir. My abilities combined with his experience make us a force to be reckoned with." Cassandra hoped she wasn't too bold but she needed to get her point across.

The chief Justice nodded her head and spoke.

"I agree. Judge Dredd told me what happened yesterday. What you two did alone would probably be impossible with any other Judges. It was your first day out as well. You did good, Anderson."

Cassandra's heart dropped. She didn't expect Dredd to speak so highly of her. She basically walked away after Peach Tree's opened back up.

"Thank you, Sir. I won't let you down! Cassandra said excitedly."

"Get some rest, Anderson. You're going to need it."

With that the Chief ended the transmission and it was quiet once more.

Cassandra was left alone, facing the wall behind the computer terminal. She sat there for a moment contemplating everything. She was a Judge now. Dredd would be her partner. They would be a wrecking ball to the criminal world. For the first time in a long time, Cassandra smiled whole heartedly. She still had some demons to exercise, but for the time being, Cassandra was content with herself.

"I take it that things went well?" For a big person, Dredd could be a quiet walker. So lost in her mind, Cassandra didn't notice Dredd sneak up on her.

"Jesus Christ man! You can't sneak up on people like that. Cassandra's heart was racing with adrenaline.

"Old habits die hard." In the field you had to be quiet sometimes. Any noise in a risky situation could mean death.

"Besides, can't you tell when someone is close by?"

"Only when I'm concentrating. I'm getting better at it. It's not as easy as turning on a light."

"Might want to get better at it. We may need that one day." Mega-City 1 was full of surprises. If you let your guard down, it wouldn't be hard for a perp to flank you, or get blindsided by an unknown element.

"I'll get right on that." Cassandra rolled her eyes and got up. She walked past a mirror and turned around. She remembered that she needed a new wardrobe. It was time to go shopping. Something she hated to do.

Cassandra turned to Dredd.

"I need new clothes. Where's the closest shop around here?

"There's a mall on levels 20-25. You'll have to figure it out from there."

Cassandra looked in the mirror again. She obviously looked like a young person that's been out all night. Wrinkled clothes, bags under her eyes. She smelled of burrito and stale alcohol.

"Mind if I use your shower?" She turned to Dredd.

"Go ahead. I got some clothes you can wear. But it's no Sun dress."

"Do I look like the type of chick that wears dresses? Cassandra had her moments of femininity but they were few and far between. Besides wearing basic eyeliner and lip gloss, she was a practical person.

Dredd just shrugged his shoulders and walked to his bedroom. He returned with some gray sweatpants and a navy t-shirt.

"These should fit you."

The clothes would swallow her up but it beats smelling like booze and sweat.

"Thank you." She took the clothes and headed toward the bathroom. Dredd's was bigger but not by much. At least she could stretch more while in the shower. The water felt nice. There hsn't been a time where a shower didn't make her feel better. She let the spray massage her face. Feeling much better, Cassandra walked out and started drying off. She wiped the mirror and got a look at herself. The 'lost' look in her face was gone. Staring back was a face of determination, with a hint of torment. The face of a Judge.

Cassandra dressed and walked out. Dredd was on the computer looking up something.

"There's some shops on level 23 you might want to check out."

She walked closer and noticed that Dredd was looking up the directory of the Megablock.

"Cool deal. I'm off to it then." Cassandra grabbed her I.D., stuck it in the never-ending pocket of Dredd's sweatpants. She got to the door when she heard Dredd speak.

"Wait." Dredd got up and walked to his bedroom. He came back with a small holdup pistol and handed it to Cassandra.

"Just in case you decide to take out some perps."

"Right." She took the pistol and put it in her other pocket. Dredd's building was more secure than others but criminals could be bold. A young woman was a tempting target to the scum of MegaCity 1. Dredd knew she could handle herself, but you could never be too careful Judges were allowed to carry concealed weapons. Cassandra wouldn't get any flak if she flashed her I.D. at some rent-a-cop.

"Anything else?"

"Nope." Dredd walked back and sat down at his computer. "Have fun."

Cassandra rolled her eyes again and left. The auto locking door sealing itself when she closed it.

A couple hours later she returned with bags in hand. The thieves took everything she owned so everything had to be replaced. Tossing the bags down, she slumped down on the couch. Dredd saw all the bags on the floor.

"i thought you hated to shop?" Raspy voice filled the room.

"Having everything stolen from you gives you motivation, I suppose." Cassandra picked up one bag to examine it's contents. She took out a pair of jeans, plain black t-shirt, and underwear.

"Time to feel like Cassandra once more." She headed toward the bathroom to change.

After a few minutes she emerged looking like a new person. Albeit a plain looking person but that was a good thing. It's never a good idea to bring attention to yourself on the streets. Wealthy looking people are prime targets for mugging and kid-napping. Beautiful women have it even worse.

"Has H.Q. called yet about my new apartment?"

"Yes, they did." Dredd turned around and handed her a piece of paper

Cassandra unfolded it and read the scripture. 'Appt 127-11'

"I hear the view is nice." Dredd had a monotone voice but you could tell he was sarcastic.

"I'm sure." Cassandra looked at the note once more time. "I'm going to check it out. Want to come?"

Dredd just waved his hand and resumed his work on the terminal. He was off duty but there was work to be done. Drug busting and judging criminals was nothing compared to the paperwork that was required.

"Suit yourself." Cassandra gathered up her bags and headed out the door.

'Ding' the elevator doors opened on floor 127. Cassandra made her way down the hall scanning each door for 11. She passed by 7, then 9, and finally stopped at 11. The door lock was different. Instead of a key card, you just had to scan your thumb. She hoped it was more secure. Considering that many Judges lived on this block, there wasn't much to worry about. Most people tried to stay away from Judges as much as possible. Fearing that looking at them would earn them a sentence in the Iso-Cubes.

It was fine with Cassandra.

The door lock beeped twice and she turned the handle. The door was heavy and required more force to open than her previous abode.

The inside was nicer as well. She had a small living room with a couch, coffee table, and computer terminal. There was a small kitchen with everything needed to prepare and cook food. The bedroom was connected through the living room, with the bathroom inside it and to the left.

It looked like Dredd's place but slightly different.

Cassandra put her belongings in the provided dresser drawer and set up the bathroom to her liking. Satisfied she returned to the living room and dropped down on the couch. Content with her knew place and situation, she relaxed and dosed off.

_The Lawgiver was heavy in her hands. Barrel smoking as she fired a couple shots at a perp. One shot connected with his head and a brilliant pink mist exploded from the back. Bits of skull and brain collided and stuck to a wall. It looked like some fancy abstract art. But the canvass was a peeling wall, The Lawgiver was the palette, and the 9mm slug was the brush._

_Anderson heard a click, indicating she was out of ammo. She reached down and grabbed her last magazine. The perps were "uncooperative," as Dredd would put it. She concentrated and found the last guy. He had a hostage, but was wounded. Anderson was a better shot than she previous thought._

_She walked out of the room and followed the blood trails. Anderson raised her weapon and proceeded to track down her target. The bloody footprints were getting closer to each other now. Anderson's bullet finally doing the intended effect._

_There was muttering followed by someone shushing them to be quiet. It was too late though. Anderson had her target in sight._

"_You've got nowhere to go. Give up and you'll get 50 years in the cubes." Anderson was calm and cool. Never once letting her guard down."_

"_Oh really now!?" The perp was in pain and scared. He held the gun to the hostages head. "How about you let me walk away. The girl comes with me, as insurance."_

_The hostage was terrified. Anderson concentrated and heard the girl's thoughts. She wanted her dad. She went deeper and got more info. Her mother was killed during a block war. Her dad worked for the custodians of the megablock they were in. _

"_Just let the girl go. She doesn't deserve this." Anderson hoped he would listen. She reached out to feel the perps mood. _His_ name was David._

"_How do I know you just won't shoot me? David tightened his grip on the girl and pressed his pistol into her neck._

"_I'm a Judge. I'm here to uphold the law and serve justice." It was true. Though not everyone trusted the Judges. _

_Anderson held her ground and waited for David to respond. _

"_Tell that to the guys down the hall!" He was getting agitated again._

"_They knew what they were getting themselves into. They chose to defy a Judge by shooting at me. Attempting to murder a Judge is an automatic life sentence, or death." Maybe she could talk him out of this. She hated to kill people but her job demanded that she did._

"_Please let the girl go." She pleaded with David._

_She reached out again to sense his thoughts. He was thinking about giving up. _

"_We can end this peacefully or the easy way." Anderson's gaze was unwavering. She held her stance and kept the Lawgiver trained on Davids head. Any wrong move and she would paint the walls with the inside of his skull._

"_The easy way huh?" David was letting his guard down. _

"_Your choice. Let the girl go and we'll talk." Maybe this will end on a good note._

_She reached out again and felt for David's mind. He was scared but felt like he wanted to give up. He was thinking about her offer. 50 years in the cubes or death. He didn't want to die but 50 years is a long time. He would probably die in prison. Anderson sensed his anxiety._

"_If you cooperate and behave, I may be able to reduce it to 40. 35 if you let her go right now."_

_35 is certainly better than 50, but thats still a long time._

"_35 years you say." _

"_Let the girl go, and you'll get 35. failure to comply means death, David. Don't make me kill you."_

_Anderson gripped the Lawgiver even more. She was prepared to dispense justice at a moments notice._

_David thought it over real quick. _

"_Okay, you win Judge."He still held onto the girl. _

"_Put your gun down and the girl's free. Anderson lowered her gun enough to convince David._

_Suddenly, Anderson sensed something in David's mind. He wasn't sincere in his agreement. How did she not see this. She was a Psi after all._

_The worst thing that could happen, did happen._

_Anderson was caught off guard and didn't see the gun rise to the girl's head._

"_Fuck you Judge, I'll keep my freedom. Click... bang._

_The girl dropped to the ground, motionless._

"_NOOOOOOO!" Anderson screamed. She raised her gun. Unloaded her lawgiver into David. Walking closer with each shot. Each bullet painted a different picture on the old deteriorating wall._

_David was dead but that didn't matter. Anderson fired until she was out of ammo. She continued pulling the trigger long after the clip was empty. She tossed her gun and dropped down to the mangled body, she hit it, again and again. She wailed on it until her hands were bloody. _

"_Daddy..." Anderson turned around with fright. In front of her was the little girl. Her white dress stained with crimson. _

"_Help me find my daddy, he's worried about me." Cassandra just sat there in shock. She couldn't find the words to reply. She closed her eyes hoping it was all a dream. Until the girl pleaded again._

"_We got to find daddy... I'm scared. Anderson was in panic mode. Her self control failing. She got up and began to run. Running was all she could do. The little girl called out to her but Anderson didn't stop. Eventually the girl faded away. Anderson stopped running and tried to catch her breath. She took deep breathes and fell to the floor. Sobbing took over, she pulled and hugged her knees to herself. Eventually she stopped. She opened her eyes to look around. Gone was the dilapidated megablock and instead was the interior of a court room. The Hall of Justice._

"_Cassandra Anderson, do you have anything to say before the verdict is read? The chief Judge spoke to her._

_Anderson was confused. Verdict for what. She stayed quiet._

"_Very well. The Chief Judge read the datapad in her hand. The jury find the defendant Cassandra Anderson, guilty of aiding and abetting a felon. _

"_What?" Anderson didn't know what was happening._

"_On the counts of failure to uphold the law, guilty._

"_There has to be a mistake. I didn't do anything wrong! Anderson pleaded with the Chief judge._

_The judge continued to read the pad. "Punishment for these crimes is death. May the punishment be swift." The judge hit the table with her gavel and court was dismissed._

"_I'm innocent! This is all a mistake!" Anderson closed her eyes again._

_She opened them and she was in a dark room. In front of her was Dredd. With his Lawgiver pointed at her head._

"_Dr.. Dredd? What are you doing.? Cassandra was so confused._

"_Upholding the law. Do you have any last words, Anderson?" _

_Don't do this Joe, there has to be a mistake..." She hung her head down in defeat._

"_That's what they all say."_

_Click, bang._

Cassandra woke up in a cold sweat, pulse racing. It had all been a dream. She got up and went to the bathroom. She rinsed her face with cold water, trying to clear her head. Yes, she had demons to exercise. But that wasn't going to stop her. She was a Judge of MegaCity 1 and would act accordingly. She turned the water off and dried her face.

She turned the light off and went back to the living room. Cassandra put on a pair of shoes and walked out the door. Maybe a walk would clear her head.

Cassandra walked nowhere in particular.

****So here it is, my masterpiece so far. I'm pleased with how the dream sequence turned out. This is the longest chapter yet and I only want them to get longer. Please let me know what you think in the reviews. Any constructive criticism is appreciated :)****


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

The Hall of Justice is antithesis of what MegaCity 1 actually is. The polished clean floors of the main lobby glistened in the morning sun. Smooth Marble walls silhouetted everything that passed by. This was the visual embodiment of order amidst the chaos.

When you entered through the main doors, you are greeted with a mural of a golden Eagle. The wings are spread out with seven stars encrusted in a line. This was the symbol of Justice.

Dredd was waiting for her underneath the Eagle. Dressed in his uniform, Lawgiver strapped to his side, helmet on head. He even wore his customary serious frown. Dredd was "The Law."

"You ready, Anderson?" Dredd already knew the answer. He just needed to hear it.

Anderson stood up straighter, looked Dredd in the eyes.

"Ready." One hundred percent confident in that statement.

"You look ready."

Dredd turned around and started walking. Anderson let a smile escape. That was Dredd's dry sense of humor. Anderson followed in step behind him toward the Chief Judges office.

The building was constantly busy. There's always someone rushing somewhere. Its to be expected considering this was the only place fighting for MegaCity 1.

Anderson could sense the thoughts of people around her. A fellow judge walked passed them. Judge Connors was his name. He was on his way to interrogation. Apparently he busted a weapons dealer earlier in the night. There's good news too. Interrogation got the names and location of his suppliers. Their days of smuggling are over. 50 years in Iso-Cubes, mandatory.

Soon after she lost contact, out of range. They were close now.

"Once you're sworn in, you'll officially be a Judge. You ready to get started?

"I am. Are you ready, Dredd?

"Yeah." He thought back to the meeting with the Chief a few days ago. When he first met Anderson. "It's all a deep end." He repeated that in his head for a moment.

The Hall with the Chief Judges office had paintings of every Chief prior to the current one. All of them in uniform, Each one had a unique facial expression. The one thing in common was the amount of strength and resolve they conveyed. You couldn't be a weak person and be a chief Judge.

The pair rounded one last corner and they were at their destination.

"Hear we go." Anderson murmured to herself. It would be roller coaster ride from here on out.

Dredd grabbed the large handle and pulled the door open. It was a larger door. Etched with abstract designs to symbolize importance of its occupier.

"Ah, Dredd and Anderson. Glad you made it." The Chief was in a cheerful mood. Anderson was her special project and she's glad she made the cut. She would be a very good Judge.

The chief was standing behind her massive stained wooden desk. Different case files we're strewn about. Each leg in the front had an Eagle carved into it. A majestic desk if there ever was one.

"I'm sure you two are ready to get started, so let's do the deed." The chief was back to business.

"Yes Sir." Dredd and Anderson replied in Unison. The beginnings of a unstoppable team.

The Chief picked up a hardback copy of The Law. The book was bound in Dark blue leather, golden Eagle engraved on the cover. It shown some signs of use. Creases in the spine and pages not lining up fully. This book is what Dredd and the Hall of Justice stood for. Order amidst the chaos.

"Anderson, if you would place your right hand on the book." She did so. It was finally happening. Cassandra Anderson would be a Judge for real.

"Repeat the following words after me."

The Oath swearing ceremony went by in a blur. Anderson repeated everything the Chief Judge said. Her mind was somewhere else, however. She thought back to her parents. They would be so proud of her. Life had a cruel sense of irony. If her parents never died, she might not have become a Judge. She was a mutant in MegaCity 1. Nobody wanted mutants around. They were considered the scum of the Cursed Earth. Funny how she was the one about to serve justice to the ones that would use her for their own selfish reasons.

On the streets, she would be lucky to be alive. The only job good for "muties," especially one of such beauty, were horrible. Cassandra shook the thought away right as the Chief Judge was finishing the swearing in process.

"By the power invested in me, by the book of Law, I hereby grant one Anderson, Cassandra the rank of Judge and the power to enforce the Law with all rights and privileges that are burdened with the rank.

The Chief looked Anderson in the eyes.

"Do you accept these responsibilities as Judge and promise to uphold the Law to the best of your ability? Only one answer left.

"I do." Cassandra's fate was sealed. She was a Judge now.

The Chief smiled once more.

"Congratulations Cassandra. Or I should say, Judge Anderson." She reached out to shake Anderson's hand. She responded in kind and took it.

"It's a tough world out there. I feel better knowing that you are on our side. The Chief let go of her hand and turned to Dredd.

"So you two are a team now? It was rhetorical.

"Looks that way." Dredd turned to look at Anderson. "You ready, Rookie? Duty calls."

Anderson was ready. She'd been ready ever since her parent's passed away. All the long and hard work coming to fruition at last. She's gone through too much to give up now. With a new found determination, she accepted her fate. Judge Cassandra Anderson was on the clock.

"

"Let's get to it then." Anderson walked to the door with Dredd following in her wake.

"Oh I forgot to mention." The Chief called the duo back.

"Report to the armory. There's something you need."

Cassandra knew she needed to procure a new Lawgiver. Having lost the other one in Peach Trees. The self destruct system managed to save her life.

"I was heading there now actually." Anderson was eager to get on the streets.

"I figured you were. Just check with the quartermaster first. You'll see when you get there."

"Yes, Sir."

Anderson and Dredd continued out the door. The massive thing shut with a loud clunk.

"Good luck you two." The Chief spoke towards the closed door.

She sat down and made the necessary changes to Anderson's record. Stating that she was a Judge. She hit 'enter' and it was official.

"I wonder what she meant by that?" Anderson was curious now.

"We'll find out in a minute." Dredd seemed uninterested in everything.

"Aren't you a little bit curious?"

"I left my curiosity back in that Slo-Mo lab." There's more of that humor again.

"Fine, whatever." Anderson didn't really expect him to be. He's so cool and calm about everything.

They made it to the elevator and Anderson pressed the call button. It arrived thirty seconds later. The bells report signaled its arrival. Anderson and Dredd stepped to the side to left the passengers get off.

Anderson sensed someone's thoughts again. A cadet. Two years out from graduation. He was nervous. He was on his way to take an exam on the law. He was up late cramming in.

Anderson remembered those days. She hated to take tests. She was more a "hands-on" type. She would rather be at the range practicing than taking notes on how to deal with a hostage situation. Granted she's glad she has the knowledge to do so, but it was excruciatingly difficult to pass those tests. She did fail technically. However, her final exam was written with blood, sweat, and tears; literally.

The pair stepped on the elevator and the doors closed. The young cadet's thought's phased away from Anderson.

"Good luck." She thought.

The armory was on level 15. The doors opened to reveal a gun metal gray room. No discernible markings or features. The room was practical only. A kiosk was opposite of the elevator. Instead sat a older man. Hair balding, slightly round stomach.

Dredd approached the kiosk. " Judges Dredd and Anderson reporting as ordered." Dredd stood there waiting for a reply from the startled man. He was caught in his own world reading something.

"Oh? Yes, yes, come on in. He hit a button and the door connecting the lobby to armory opened. Dredd and Anderson entered.

"We have some new toy's to show you." The round man motioned for them to follow him to a locker. "These were sent to us this morning from R&D. The balding man opened the locker and inside were two brand new helmets. Nothing seemed special about them though.

"These are prototypes. They've been upgraded with enhanced hearing abilities. The latest in quantum entanglement communication. Supposedly uncrackable. You have a new Heads up display. Vitals are displayed along with radar. Red dots are bad guys, green dots are friendlies, white dots are unknown."

"Your Lawgiver can integrate with the helmet's HUD. You'll be able to aim and target perps without having to aim down the sights." The old man could be a museum curator with that speech.

"Since when." Dredd finally speaking up.

"Since never actually. Which brings us to our finally locker."

The man turned opened and adjacent locker.

" I have to say that I'm pleased with these the most." He beamed at Anderson and Dredd.

Inside were two weapons. They looked similar to the Mk II lawgiver but with some changes.

"The special ammo magazine has been moved back towards the trigger. It's chambered in .45acp. A new recoil compensator has been implemented. You shouldn't feel anymore kick than the MK II has. Thirty round extended clip. The main gun has its own separate barrel from the special rounds. Integrated micro red dot sight. It has the same features as the MK II. The special barrel can fold up to create a longer barrel. With the new 6.8mm fin-stabilized sabot rounds, you can take out a target with extreme accuracy out to 500 meters. This feature is accessed through the HUD."

" Impressive." Dredd was indeed satisfied with the new gadgets.

"I'll say. Maybe this will give you an edge in the field? The man was jovial about his job to say the least.

Anderson picked up the weapon to expect it. It was lighter than the II was.

"Oh I almost forgot. It was made with nanocomposite carbon. Its twenty-five percent lighter than the MK II."

"Very cool." Anderson was getting into it now. A weapon like this is just what they needed in MegaCity 1.

"Indeed." Well I should get you two to sign these. The man pulled out some datapads.

"Just give you your thumb print and its all yours."

Dredd and Anderson complied.

Dredd switched out his helmet with the prototype.

Anderson tried hers on for size. The room lit up with an enhanced light effect. Everything was much clearer now. In the top left her vitals appeared. They were green. The top right showed the radar. One white in the center which was Anderson. Two green dots appeared at the 11 and 2 o'clock position. Everything seemed to be working.

Anderson picked up her prototype Lawgiver. There was a 'sync' button above the safety. Anderson pressed it and a calibration icon appeared in the center of the HUD. It counted from zero to one hundred percent. There was a beep in her ears signaling everything was synced and calibrated.

Anderson raised and pointed the gun around. A traditional cross hair moved across the HUD.

"I can get used to this." It was like being in an old world video game.

"Yeah." Dredd was back to his normal self.

"Now that's taken care of. I have work to do." The portly man motioned the pair toward the exit.

"If you need anything just call and ask for Phillip. That's me." Phillip grinned at them and returned to his desk.

Dredd pressed the elevator button again. It came quick this time.

The elevator arrived with a ding and they entered.

Anderson checked the lawgiver. Pulled the mag to check it. Replaced it and racked in a round and holstered the weapon. Dredd did likewise.

"This is it, Rookie." Dredd spoke out as the doors open.

Once more Anderson took notice of the busy main lobby. Thousands of worker bee's doing their part to secure MegaCity 1. Now Cassandra Anderson was one of those Bee's. Ready to do her part, make a difference.

"_Admirable."_ She thought back to Dredd's reaction to when she told him why she wanted to be a Judge.

"Yeah, it is." Anderson stepped out with Dredd in pursuit. The pair walked towards the exit to Megacity 1. They passed though the doors. It was so different out here. Millions of people running about, trying to live their life in the city, The Cursed City as it was known. Chaos personified.

Dredd and Anderson approached and mounted their Lawmasters. The engines roared to life and Anderson put her helmet on. Once again the HUD activated and all the features lit up.

Happy with the HUD, Anderson checked the call list. They could respond to about six percent. It was time to do her part.

"We got a report of a double homicide over in the shady point megablock." Anderson turned her helmeted face to Dredd. He nodded and contacted control.

"Control, this is Dredd. Anderson and I have Shady point."

"Copy that Judge Dredd. Sending details now." Control was always curt and professional.

"Take point, Anderson."

Anderson nodded and pulled back on the throttle. Dredd followed her and they raced toward their destination.

"Time to make a difference." Cassandra thought to herself. She would do all she could to make a difference. No matter what the situation was.

The pair raced down the Mega highway. Judges Dredd and Anderson were on the call. Criminals better beware.

**Alright, introductions are done. Now we move on to the nitty-gritty. I hope everyone is ready. Its about to get crazy. As always please review. Criticism makes the story better. :**


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